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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Permanent Ink by Jaime Samms

Beauty is only skin deep, but some marks—and what they
represent—are impossible to escape.

Eric resents his comfortable college life and the restrictions his family’s
expectations put on him. Dwayne, his best friend Angel’s cousin, is a pierced
and tattooed ex-con trying to rebuild his life. Eric sees only the tattoos and
the way Dwayne’s upbringing have dictated his future. It takes a surprising
revelation from Angel to force Eric to see past Dwayne’s defenses to the
generous heart beneath and to realize it’s time for him to break free of his
own instilled beliefs. The men can’t keep apart, and they gradually learn that
everything they thought they knew about each other might be wrong.

Opposites attract as two men from very different backgrounds move from enemies
to lovers in a story of understanding, compassion, and redemption.

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Jaime Samms is a new-to-me author, and I felt reading a short story was the
best way to see if the author and I were a good fit. I like well-written short
stories and novellas, because sometimes I don't feel like wading through 400+
pages for an entire story, and Permanent
Ink was a solid choice.

Eric is a basketball player from an affluent family. He feels trapped within
his parents' ideals, as does his brother the reader meets briefly. His best
friend, Angel, has expanded Eric's horizons. After a night of partying, Eric is
camped out on Angel's sofa, when Dwayne – Angel's cousin – comes home and hits
on Eric.

Eric is bi, but it's the outside package of Dwayne that puts Eric off. It's not
the color of his skin, or the intriguing tattoos and piercings, it's the ex-con
vibe Dwayne gives out.

Permanent Ink is an exploration of
learning 'don't judge a book by its cover.' Dwayne has an intense story to
tell, and it's written on his skin. Eric allows himself to open up and see his
new friend as the incredible man that he is.

I rated the short story by others in its genre, finding it a quick, steamy romp.
While Permanent Ink is a full story,
and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it, I felt if it had been expanded just
a bit more, the emotional impact would have been exponentially higher. Dwayne
had a big story to tell, but it was told via Eric's narration. Written from
Dwayne's point of view, with a bit more length, the story would've been taken
in a different direction. I didn't rate the story on what I wanted or wished it
had been, but what it was. Permanent Ink
was a solid story, wrapped up in a few pages, giving the reader an entertaining
read.

I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Hi! I'm pleased to be a Dreamspinner author. I've been writing in the genre
most of my life, even way back when publication was a dream. Well, it came
true. My dreams have been spun into reality, and I hope you enjoy the results.
Thanks for coming to see what's available. Jaime has been writing for various
publishers since the fall of 2008, although she's been writing for herself far
longer. Often asked why men; what’s so fascinating about writing stories about
men falling in love, she's never come up with a clear answer. Just that these
are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was
going to write, they should also be the stories she wrote. These days, you can
find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for Freya’s Bower,
Loveyoudivine Alterotica, Pink Petal Books, Dreamspinner Press and Total
E-Bound. Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the
dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, she's probably
spending reading, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she
is Canadian!) or watching movies. Well. She has a day job or two, as well, and
two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his
fair share of household and child care responsibilities. She graduated some
time ago from college with a Fine Arts diploma, with a major in textile arts,
which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string
and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after
all...

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